Annual summit offers valuable training in business best practices, in addition to an emphasis on life/work excellence

DALLAS – May 15, 2012 – The four principles of legacy, life, business and leadership took the spotlight at this year’s HTG Summit 2012 in Dallas, May 7-11. A change of venue to the more spacious Hilton Anatole was just one of the many enhancements this year for the international organization’s signature event. The summit comprised four days of hands-on workshops and specialized clinics delivering best practices for orchestrating a successful business and home life. Attendees also had the opportunity to give back to the Dallas community through an off-site service project with Hands That Give, the IT industry’s first emergency response program for IT solution providers.

“This year’s summit was packed with programs to address virtually every need of today’s IT solution provider – mind, body and soul,” said Arlin Sorensen, HTG founder and CEO. “At HTG, we value a holistic approach, placing a premium on life/work excellence and taking care of family as well as business.”

Highlights of this year’s summit included:

SPOUSE TRACK & COUPLES RETREAT

New to the summit this year were the spouse track and couples retreat. The spouse track ran concurrently with the regular member tracks on Tuesday, May 8 and was geared toward the spouses of IT business owners and leaders. Topics included financial statements and valuations, legacy planning and “Being Married to an Entrepreneur: Tips and Tricks to Make It Work.” Almost 30 HTG member spouses took part onsite. In addition, this track was webcast and viewed simultaneously by many others around the world.

Attendees were able to follow up Tuesday’s spouse track with HTG’s first couples retreat on Friday May 11. The retreat – guided by Dr. Gary and Barb Rosberg, co-founders of America’s Family Coaches – provided the tools couples need for a solid marriage, including the “6 Secrets to a Lasting Love.”

“When you’re an IT business owner or leader, ‘minding the store’ can be a grueling process at times. The late nights, long hours and frustrations are a test to even the most iron-clad relationships,” said Sorensen. “The spouse track and couples retreat presented a wonderful opportunity for spouses to explore the business side and learn how to better understand the IT folks they married.”

Q2 LEADERSHIP FORUM

Over 100 attendees representing 50 HTG member companies participated in the HTG Leadership Forum. This was the second of four quarterly gatherings where members participate in highly concentrated, interactive sessions focused on building winning skills around four key areas: strategy, people, team and leadership.

SonicWALL TRAINING

This two-day, no-cost certification training from SonicWALL provided each class participant with a SonicWALL TZ 210 network security appliance.

BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANNING

Mike Semel of Business Continuity Technologies conducted a workshop focused on helping HTG members finish their business continuity plan. The goal was to provide them with a completed plan, not add another item to attendees’ post-Summit to-do list.

LEVERAGING DIGITAL MEDIA IN YOUR IT BUSINESS This hands-on workshop conducted by video production company Varvid taught attendees how to create digital content to leverage on social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. Participants got their first video shot while on-site, which will be edited, branded and ready for posting soon after the event.

HANDS-ON LAB: ConnectWise LIFE CYCLE

The ConnectWise Life Cycle lab explored ways participants could use ConnectWise’s Professional Services Automation (PSA) software to nurture sales opportunities, prepare agreements, enhance service and manage invoicing.

MEMBER AND VENDOR AWARDS

Amidst all the workshops, tracks and peer group meetings, HTG celebrated member and vendor accomplishments over the past year through its annual awards program.

MISSION ARLINGTON SERVICE EVENT

On May 10, the final official day of the summit, HTG and Hands That Give facilitated a service project with local charity Mission Arlington to sort school supplies, water and toys for those in need. Summit attendees were encouraged to make financial or school supply donations that were taken to the site.

The service project was also time for the big reveal of an IT makeover for Mission Arlington sponsored by HP, Microsoft and Intel in partnership with local HTG member, Networking Results. HP, Microsoft and Intel donated over $25,000 worth of IT equipment to Mission Arlington, with Networking Results contributing almost $10,000 in design and implementation time.

About HTG Peer Groups
Established in 2000 by Arlin Sorensen as a business and personal development community, today HTG Peer Groups is an international organization of leading IT solution providers. HTG has nearly 300 member companies throughout North America, the United Kingdom and Australia/New Zealand. Each peer group consists of 10-12 IT company executives who work together and share resources and information to formulate and meet business goals such as strategic planning, process improvement and tools, and life-work excellence. HTG offers Leadership Forums, vendor peer groups and other educational events, quarterly meetings, and an annual summit that attracts hundreds of attendees, vendor exhibitors and strategic partners. Visit www.htgpeergroups.com or call 712-744-3619 for more information.